Individual verses with meanings
Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirtyninth sarga of the bAlakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
In this sarga, viSwAmitra continues the narration of the aSwamEdha yajna conducted by emperor sagara (horse sacrifice). Into it…
rAma was delighted to learn about emperor sagara and his exploits. He hailed the sage and keenly requested him to continue narration of how his forefathers arranged and conducted the yajna. Pleased at the request, viSwAmitra began recounting the episode of the excellent emperor sagara.
O rAma, the peaks of the mountains himavAn and vindhya had a clear line of sight between them. The land in between the two peaks was fit for the conduct of yajnas. That is where sagara conducted the aSwamEdha yajna.
During the yajna, the horse was set free as per the ritual. Directed by sagara, the valiant anSumAn followed the sacrificial horse in order to protect it and bring it back for culmination of the yajna.
On the day of culmination of the yajna, indra assuming the form of a demon hijacked the horse and hid it away. Alarmed at the turn of events, the preceptors urged to the king, “Lord, it is not auspicious for any of us if we don’t find the horse, hence please do everything possible to find and bring back the horse”. Having heard their words, sagara summoned his sixty thousand mighty sons and ordered them – “dear sons, I’m unaware of the demon who has hijacked the horse and as such will have to stay here along with anSumAn and other priests since I’m initiated into this on going yajna. Therefore, please go around this globe which is garlanded with oceans and sift through every single yOjana (measure of length like a mile), dig up the earth and look for the horse at every possible place. May you all be safe”.
The obedient sixty thousand princes left on the mission of finding the horse enthusiastically. Each one of them occupied a square yOjana of the land and started digging it with their diamond like nails. The breaking of the earth with various machines like the plough and lances caused loud thunderbolt like noises. It sent shivers among the demons, reptiles and all other creatures which occupied the land that was being dug. The combined excavation efforts of the sixty thousand princes took them to the nether regions. This way the sons of sagara moved around the entire jambu dwIpa dotted with mountains and their quest for the sacrificial horse caused great agony to the living beings.
The dEvas were alarmed at this extensive efforts of the sons of sagara which was changing the face of the earth and causing great inconvenience to other living beings. They approached the lord brahma, propitiated him and apprised him of the matter in detail. They further said, the sagarAs are not only digging the earth, they are also slaying the living beings suspecting them to be the captors of the sacrificial horse!
Here we conclude the thirty ninth sarga of the bAlakAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 